Can-straightening machine.



H. T. TAIT. CAN STRAIGH TENING MACHINE,

APPLlCATION FILED AUG.10.1915- L 1,453., Patented June 26, 1917.

UNIT SATES PATNT FFIQE,

HARRY T. TAIT, OF SPRINGFIELD, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO MANNING MANU-FAOTURING COMPANY, OF RUTLAND,

VERMONT, A CORPORATION OF VERMONT.

CAN-STRAIGHTEN IN G MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 26, 191?.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HARRY T. TAIT, a citizen of the United States,residing at Springfield, in the county of Hampden and State ofMassachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Can-Straightening Machines, of which the following is a specification,reference being had therein to the accompanying drawing.

This invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in canstraightening machines for straightening cylindrical cans, the objectbeing to*provide a machine by means of which the'indentations can bequickly removed from cans after they have been in use.

Another object of my invention is to provide a can straightening machinein which a pivoted helve is employed having a hammer at its free end andprovided with a spring at the opposite side of the fulcrum thereof forforcing said hammer downwardly after the same has been raised so as toproduce upon the inside of the can a series of taps so that when saidcan is placed on an anvil and the machine is started a series of tapsare produced upon the inside of the can so as to remove any dentstherefrom, as by moving the can when the machine is in operation, thesame can be easily straightened without any injury thereto.

Another object of my invention is to provide a machine which isexceedingly simple and cheap in construction and one in which arevoluble shaft is provided with oppositely disposed tappets arranged toengage the end of the helve so as to raise the hammer carried thereby sothat when one of said tappets passes out of engagement with the helve, aspring arranged under the helve will force the hammer downwardly so thata blow will be struck in order to remove the indentations in an old canafter the same has been in use.

Other and further objects and advantages of the invention will behereinafter set forth and the novel features thereof defined by theappended claims.

In the drawings Figure 1 is a side elevation of my improved constructionof can straightening machine showing a can in dottedv lines in positionto be operated upon;

F ig. 2 is a top plan View of the machine hav ng a can in dotted lines;and

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the operative parts of the machinedetached.

Like numerals of reference refer to like parts in the several figures ofthe drawings.

In carrying out my improved invention I employ a work bench or table 1provided with the usual legs and having at one end an anvil 2 providedwith a concaved face, and at the opposite end a motor 3, said motorbeing arranged on a lowered portion of the table or bench and beingprovided with the usual drive shaft 4. Secured on the bench in alinementwith the drive shaft 4 is a bearing 5 in which is mounted a shaft 6carrying a worm gear 7 inclosed by a housing 8, said housing beingprovided with an opening to receive the end of the shaft 4 of the motor3, and upon which is mounted a worm 9 meshing with the worm gear 7 so asto rotate said gear.

The gear 7 is fixed on one end of the shaft 6 and said shaft projectsoutwardly as shown in Fig. 3, and has secured on the end thereof, a cam10 forming oppositely disposed tappets for a purpose hereinafter fullydescribed. Mounted on the table in alinement with the cam 10 is abracket 11 provided with oppositely disposed bearings in which aremounted trunnions 12 of a helve 13, said trunnions passing throughplates 14 secured to the sides of the helve, as clearly shown in Fig. 3.The trunnions form a fulcrum for the helve adjacent the end thereof,said end projecting under the cam 10 in such a manner that when the cam10 is rotated, the tappets formed thereby are brought alternately intoengagement with thefree end of the helve so as to raise the opposite endthereof. As the end of the helve is depressed, the hammer 15 carried bythe opposite end thereof is raised, which hammer is provided with aconvexed face, the curvature of l which corresponds with the curvatureof the'face of the anvil and is adapted to be brought into contact withthe inner face of the can.

Arranged under the end of the helve is a coil spring 16 which is mountedin a socket carried by the bracket 11 and projects over apin projectingdownwardly from the helve so as to hold the same in position so thatwhen the hammer is raised by the tappets and is released thereby, thecoil spring which has been compressed will expand so' as to produce ablow by the hammer upon the inner face of the can.

In order to provide means for holding the helve out of the path oftravel of the cam 10 I provide the bracket 11 with a cross shaft 17arranged above the helve and on which is mounted a cam 18 which isadapted to be swung by a lever 19 fixed to the shaft into engagementwith the helve so as to hold the same in the position shown in Fig. 1whereby the cam 10 is allowed to rotate without coming into contact withthe helve and the hammer is held in raised position so that a can can beslipped over the end of the same into position to be operated.

In the operation of a machine as shown, assuming that the hammer is inthe position shown in Fig. 1, a can as shown by dotted lines is placedon the anvil over the end of the hammer, and the'operator then throwsthe cam 18 out of the path of the helve and by starting the motor 3,through the medium of the gearing, the cam will be rotated so as tocause the tappets formed thereby to be alternately brought intoengagement with the end of the helve so as to depress the same whereby aseries of successive blows will be produced upon the can by the hammerwhichcan can be moved back and forth over the anvil so that theindentations will be re moved therefrom, and the sides straightened.

WVhat is claimed is: v

1. In a can straightening machine, the combination with an anvil havinga concaved face to receive a circular can of a pivoted helve, a hammercarried by said helve having a convex face adapted to engage the innerface of the can over said anvil, a rotary shaft, oppositely disposedtappets carried by said shaft cooperating with the end of said helve,and a spring arranged un-' der the end of the said helve for forcingsaid helve toward said anvil. I

2. In a can stralghtening machine, the combinatlon with an anvil havinga concaved face for supporting a circular can,

of a pivoted helve having a hammer provided with a convexed face adaptedto engage the inner face of the can over said anvil, a spring arrangedunder the free end of said helve, and revoluble tappets mounted abovesaid helve'and cooperating. therewith for raising said hammer so as tocompress said spring intermittently.

3, In a can straightening machine, the

combination with a support, of an anvil arranged above said supporthaving a concaved face for supporting a circular can, a bracket arrangedupon said support, a helve mounted in, said bracket having a hammerprovided with av convexedface adapted to engage the inner face of thecanv over said anvil, a coil spring arranged under said helve, arevoluble shaft carrying oppositely disposed tappets mounted above saidhelve, and adapted to cooperate therewith for raising said hammer, andmeansfori locking said hammer in raised position.

4. In a can straightening machine, the combination with an anvilprovided with a concaved face for supporting the can, of a pivotedhelve, a hammer carried by. said helvehaving-a conveXed face adapted toengage the inner face of said can over said anvil, a spring arrangedunder the free end of said helve, means for forcing said helvedownwardly so as-to compress said spring, and a cam arranged in the pathof said helve for holding said helve in raised position.

5. In a can straightening'machine, the combination with a. support, ofbrackets mounted upon said support, a shaft mounted in said brackets,means for driving said shaft, an anvil mounted upon said support havinga concaved face for supporting a can, means for driving said shaft, ahelve mounted in said brackets, tappets carried by said shaft in a planeabove said helve, a spring arranged under said helve, "a hammer carriedby said helve having a convexed face adapted to engage the inner face ofthe can over said anvil, and a cam mounted in said.

bracket for holding said helve out of the a path of said tappets.

6. In a circular can straightening machine, the combination with apivotally mounted helve, of a spring arranged under the free end of saidhelve, an anvilhaving. a concaved face to receive the can, a hammercarried by the helve having a converted face for engaging the inner faceof the can over said anvil, tappets for forcing said helve downwardlytojcompress said spring, and means for holding said helve out of thepath of travel of said tappets.

7. In a can straightening machine, the combination with a pivoted helvehaving a hammer at one end provided with a convexed face disposedtransversely of said helve, of a coil spring arranged under the.opposite end of said helve, revoluble, tappets mounted upon said helve,and adapted to cooperate therewith for compressing said spring, an anvilhaving a concaved facefor supporting the can around said hammer, andacam arranged above said helvelfor holding said helve out of the path oftravel of said tappets. V

8.- In a circular can straightening machine, the combination with atable, of' an anvil having a concaved faceion said table for supportinga can, a bracket mountedupon said table, a helve provided with trunnionsmounted in said brackets, a hammer carried by the free endof said helvehaving a convexed face adapted to engage the inner face of the can oversaid anvil, a socket formed in said bracket, a pin projecting downwardlyfrom said helve, a coil spring mounted in said socket extending oversaid pin, a revoluble shaft, tappets carried by said shaft adapted tocooperate with said helve for alternately compressing said spring, and acam arranged above said helve for holding said helve out of the path ofsaid tappets.

9. In a can straightening machine, the combination with a support havingan anvil provided with a concaved face for supporting the can, of asupporting bracket mounted upon said support, a helve provided withtrunnions pivotally mounted in said bracket having a rearwardlyprojecting portion at one end, a hammer carried by the opposite end ofsaid helve having a convexed face adapted to engage the inner face ofthe can over said anvil, a revoluble cam arranged above and adapted tocooperate with the rearwardly projecting end of said helve, means forholding said helve out of the path of travel of said cam and a springarranged under the projecting end of said helve.

10. A can straightening machine comprising a table having an anvilmounted thereon, provided with a concaved face for sup porting a can, asupporting bracket arranged upon said table and spaced from said anvil,a helve provided with trunnions pivotally mounted in said bracketprovided with a rearwardly projecting portion at one end, a springarranged under the rearwardly projecting end of said helve, a hammercarried by the opposite end of said helve having a convexed face adaptedto engage the inner face of the can over said anvil, a revoluble tappetarranged above the rearwardly projecting end of said helve and adaptedto con- 40 tact intermittently therewith for raising the hammer end ofsaid helve, said bracket having an extension, a cross shaft mounted insaid extension, a cam arranged upon said shaft, and a lever fixed to theshaft for adj usting the position of said cam extension to said helvefor holding said helve in inoperative position.

11. In a can straightening machine, the

combination with a support having an anvil provided with a concaved facefor supporting the can, of a supporting bracket mounted upon saidsupport, a helve pivotally mounted on said bracket having a rearwardlyprojecting portion at one end, a hammer carried by the opposite end ofsaid helve having a convexed face adapted to engage the inner face ofthe can over said anvil, a revoluble cam arranged above and adapted tocooperate with the rearwardly projecting end of said helve, means forholding said helve out of the path of travel of said cam and a springarranged under the projecting end of said helve.

In testimony whereof I hereunto afiix my Copies of this patent may beobtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,Washington, I). G.

